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White Saphire - La Virée des Contemporains - 2011

Stephan Siegrist and Denis Burdet (both from Switzerland) have made the first ascent of a previously unnamed peak in Kishtwar and have proposed the name White Saphire for the peak.

First ascent of White Saphire ( 6040m )

La Virée des Contemporains

Himalaya, India

850m, WI 5 (Crux: 2 rope lengths WI 6), M6, A2

5 October 2011

Climbed by Stephan Siegrist,Denis Burdet

Stephan Siegrist and Denis Burdet (both from Switzerland) have made the first ascent of a previously unnamed peak in Kishtwar, situated a little to the south of Cerro Kishtwar. They have proposed the name White Saphire for the peak, and have naned their route "La Virée des Contemporains".

The route tales a line up the north-north-west face of the mountain and involves dry-tooling, 90° ice and a roof. Part of the route follows chimneys which the climbers compared to Exocet on Cerro Standhardt, in Patagonia. The route was climbed in a single one-day push without the use of bolts, though it was found to be difficult to protect.

The mountain turned out to have a double summit, with the highest point giving a GPS altitude of 6040m. The climbers descended by the south ridge of the mountain.

The ascent was made shortly after the ascent of a new route ('Yoniverse')on Cerro Kishtwar by Stephan Siegrist, Denis Burdet, David Lama and Rob Frost.